The field of this invention relates to dispensing of beverages which are dispensed by combining a quantity of water with a quantity of syrup in correct proportion to be mixed, whipped and then dispensed into a cup or glass.
Within stores and restaurants, such as fast food operations, it is common to have available to the customer a plurality of different types of beverages. Most beverages other than milk are a mixture of a syrup and water. It has been common in the past to have the place of business purchase a quantity of syrup with an employee within the restaurant mixing together, in the desired proportion, a quantity of the syrup with water and then locating such in a beverage dispensing container to be then dispensed to the customers.
This mixing of the beverage requires time by the employee of the restaurant. Also, frequently the proportion is not exactly followed by the employee each time a quantity of the beverage is mixed thereby causing inconsistency.
In order to avoid the problems incurred with mixing of the beverages by an employee, it has been common in the past to use pressurized containers of both syrup and water which are to be supplied to a mixing housing. Mounted on the mixing housing is a control lever which when manually activated will cause both the syrup and the water to be dispensed at the exact correct proportion into a mixing chamber. The contents within the mixing chamber is then dispensed within a cup or glass.
Within recent years, there has been developed a further additional type of beverage wherein the mixed syrup and water is whipped, which saturates the beverage with air bubbles producing a desirable consistency for the beverage. In the past, it has been common to conduct the mixed syrup and water into a separate whipping device prior to being dispensed into the cup or glass. However, this produces a bulky beverage dispenser that takes up additional counter space and limits the number of stores and restaurants willing to install dispensers for whipped beverages.
Accordingly, a need exists for a compact beverage dispenser able to mix and whip a beverage. Preferably, this beverage dispenser should not take up much more room that the beverage dispensers currently used to mix proportionate amounts of syrup and water.